Clothes hanger



Feb. 8,1927.

c.- A. ROTTHOUSE.

CLOTHES HANGER Filed Aug. '28. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT CHARLES A. ROTTEOUSE, OF BRANDYWINE HUNDRED,

OFFICE.

ONE-HALF TO EDWARD G; COOK, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

CLOTHES ANGER. 7

Application filed August 28, 1925. Serial No. 53,180.

This invention relates to clothes hangers and has for its object the provision of means whereby a large number of articles of wear-' ing apparel may be stored within a small space and arranged in a'convenient manner so that any one garment or' article may be removed when deslred. The invention seeks to provide means for the stated purpose' which will firmly support the garments whether they are arranged close together for storageor are more or less separated to permit removal of any desired garment or to permit inspection without actual removal.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and consists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter firstfully described and then'more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings; 7 a

Figure 1 a view, partly in section and partly in elevation,.showing the device arranged within a'closet to support garments in compact form and economize space;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device extended to permit inspection or removal of the garments;

Flg. 3 is a plan viewof the device in its tion, I rigidly secure to the said back wall a base or supporting bracket 2 which, as"

shown m'ost clearly-in Figs. 3 and 4, is a channeled member having its flanges extending vertically and projecting from the Wall 1 or other fixed support. Fitted through the side flanges" of this base or main supporting bracket adjacent the upper ends thereof is apivot rod 3, and a similar rod 4- is inserted through slots 5 extending vertically in the lower portions of' the flanges. Pivbtally engaged with the ends of, the upper rod 3 at the outer sides of the main supporting hracket are the upi per ends 'of-links'6 which'extend from the pivot rod in parallel relation and disposed tween the said links 6 are other parallel links 7fw'hich have their lower ends pivotally engaged with the ends of therod 4 at the "outer sides of the'supporting bracket. The links 6 and 7 are pivotally connected midway their ends by.'a pivot rod 8 and through the upper ends of the links 7 is fitted a pivot rod 9. Upon the said'pivot rod 9is pivotally mounted the upper end of a short link 10 and the upper end of along link 11 which is approximately twice the length of the link 10. .To the lower ends of the links 6 are pivoted a short link 12 and a long link 13, the pivots 14 by which these links are connected to the links 6,-

nnrawann, assrenon or:-

however,- being merely shortjpins extending through the ends of the links instead of a rod bridging the space between them. The links 10 and 11 converge from the rod- 9 and the links 12 and 13 likewise converge from their respective pivots, all these links meeting at a point substantially midway the ends of the links '11 and 13 and bein pivotally connected by a pin or rivet 1 as shown. The links 11 and 13 are slightly bent beyond the pivot 15 and extend therefrom parallel with a plane passing lon itudinally of the structure midway the ends of I the several rods 3, 4, 8 and 9.

The outer ends of the links 11 and 13 are thus brought into substantiallv' the central longitudinal plane of -'the device, while the arrangement of the'links shown and'described provides a wide substantial support for the inner end portion of the device so that it will firmly support the garments suspended thereon and will be held against undue lateral vibration or other movement. To the ends of the links Hand 13, other links 16 and 17 are pivotally attached and other links, corresponding to the links 16 and 17, may be. provided in' any desired number and pivotally connected at their ends and at their center's so as to produce a lazy tongs arrangement of any "desired length. The outermost link 18 of the series of'links is extended past its pivotal connection 19 with the adjacent end link 20, and knobs 21 or the like. are secured 'to the extremity of said link 18 to rovide a handle whereby the device may e con-' veni'entlv manipulated. Inthe upper op-. posed'edges of the lower ends of the mveral 22 which, as shown in Figs. 1 -and 2, are

links are formed upwardly opening notches I adapted to mate when the device iscollapsed or folded so that they will encircle the sus pending hook 23 of a garment support en- 0 15 fitting qualities thereof.

-gaged therein. Between the lower ends of ad acent pivotally connected links are disposed washers 2a which have grooved peripheries, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5, 5 whereby they are adapted to firmly support the hooks 25 of garment supporting devices. The garment supporting members may be ofany well-known type and are illustrated as each consisting of a hook, such as 23 or 25, having its lower end swiveled in a bar 26 which is of arcuate formation whereby it may be engaged within the shoulder portion of a garment and support the same in such manner as to tend to preserve the shape and as The hooks' of the garment supports may. 7

then be engaged in any of the notches 22 andwill be suspended therefrom to be firmly supported against accidental or premature release while at the same time any desired 25 garment may be easily removed when necessary. Garments may also be supported in the device by having the hook members of the clothes supports engaged over the wash-- ers 2 1, as shown in Fig. 2. When the device 3 is extended, the garments will be separated to a greater or less extent and any one garme'nt may be inspected and turned as may be needed without disturbing any other garment. When the device is folded into the closet or against any other fixed support,

' the mating'notclies of adjacent links" will completely encircle the hooks suspended in the notches, as shown in Fig. 1, so that dropping of the garment supports from the 40 will be prevented. As the device folds, the

garment supports suspended from the wash: ers 24 will readily swinginto position bea tween other garments inasmuch as the bar 26 of the support is swiveled upon the'hook and mayeasily turn thereon, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 1.

It is to be noted that, when extended, the links which are pivoted tegether at their lower ends will assume a divergent relation and sufficient space will be developed between them to permit the hook of the garment holder tobe easily engagedin any desired n otch. Moreover, the hook.

to be suspended from a washer 24 will be guided into engagement with the washer by the opposed faces of the adjacent links and the washers will serve to hold the lower ends of the links separated sufiiciently to permit the hook to easily slip into engagement with the washer. Moreover, when the device is collapsed, the adjacent links will tend to fit over the opposed portions of the hooks which rest on the washers and will thereby, to an appreciable degree, serve to lock the hooks against accidental release. .The pairs of the device is links 6, 7 10, 11, 12 and 13 provide a relatively wide support for the device and at the same time permit the garment carrying links to readily fold close to the main supporting bracket 2, as shown in Fig. 1. When the device is extended, the garments will be sufficiently separated to permit a circulation of air around all the garments, and'tliis feature of the device permits the condition of the clothes to be examinedjwhenever desired so that the ravages of moths may be counteracted and any dust which may have settled.

upon the clothes may be removed. The device may be secured in any closet and will 'obviously accommodate a large number .of

garments in a smaller space than has been heretofore possible.

Having thus described the invention, I

claim:

1. A clothes hanger comprising a base to be secured to a fixed support, a pair of links pivotally attached to the upper end of said base at opposite sides thereof, a second pair of links having sliding engagement with the said base at opposite sides thereof, a pivotal connection between the pairs of links at the centers thereof, other links pivotally attached to the outer ends of the links of the pairs of links, said last-mentioned links converging outwardly and being pivotally connected in a plane substantially midway the sides of said base, certain of the last-mentioned links being extended forwardly beyond the pivotal connection in opposed 'ver tical directions, a series of links pivotally connected to each other and pivotally connected to the forward ends of said extended links, and means upon the lower end portions of all the links to be engaged by a garment support.

2. A clothes hanger comprising a base to be secured to a support, a; pair of links pivotally attached to said base and spaced from each other transversely of the base, a second pair of links slidably engaged with said base in spaced relation to each other transversely of the to the first links, said pairs of links extending in crossed relation to each other and pivotally connected, other links pivoted to the outer ends of the links constituting the pairs of links and converging outwardly and ivotally connected in a plane substantially midway the links of the pairs of links, certain of the last-mentioned links being extended outwardly beyondthe pivotal connection in opposed vertical directions, and a series of pivotally connected links pivotattached to the outer ends of said extended links, certain of said linksbeing adapted for engagement by garment supports. y

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

cHARLEs A. ROTTHOUSE. a 8.]

base and in vertical spaced'relation" 

